Dehydrator advice please

[Sylvan]

After much research we have decided to buy a dehydrator.

The Westfalia one (which I know, from using the search, some of you have) seems to be the cheapest - followed closely by the Lakeland one - but we were wondering whether it would be worth biting the bullet and going straight for the 9 tray Excalibur, with all the bells and whistles, since the capacity is greater and presumably the drying times will be shorter (and you can prove bread dough and make yoghurt in it too ).

Has anyone any advice, based on your experiences?

If we get one of the smaller, cheaper, less powerful/versatile, more delicate ones will we be kicking ourselves a few months down the line?

Thanks.

[Alison]

I've got the Westfalia one and it's been used predominantly to dry the mushrooms that OH forages but I've also done tomatoes, leathers and herbs. Have also been experimenting with fruit leathers but struggling a bit to get them right but think that is more me than the dehydrator.

[binley100]

We've got a Westphalia one, I use it in the conservatory cos after a while the noise gets on your nerves. Just dried a tray of raspberries ,took about 8 hours . I have also done mushrooms, toms and cherries okay. Tried some mango and papaya but I think I sliced it too thin and it was rock hard with sharp edges.

[CaroltheCarrot]

I have the *b^gger goes to garage to check* Andrew James 4 tier one, got it quite late in the season last year but did use it for strawbs,rasps, bananas (not grown by me obviously)
I like it for drying herbs for my soap making etc and find it is quite big enough, hope this helps, and I dont find it very noisy, I can read while it is on

[scarey55]

I have a Stokli that I am very pleased with. I use it mostly for drying tomatoes, apples and beef. Mine is quite noisy so I have to use it it in the utility room.
As to whether or not to get the all singing, all dancing one, that is up to you. Mine isn't by any means the cheapest but it is also quite basic but it does for us (there are only 2 of us) and it is mostly used to dry cheap dog beef to give the dogs as treats which, in my opinion, is much better than shop bought treats with goodness only knows what in them.
For me, the 3 trays are enough - it depends on what and how much you are planning on drying but the 3 trays take about 10 apples peeled, cord and sliced which might give you some idea.

[Alison]

I have the *b^gger goes to garage to check* Andrew James 4 tier one, got it quite late in the season last year but did use it for strawbs,rasps, bananas (not grown by me obviously)
I like it for drying herbs for my soap making etc and find it is quite big enough, hope this helps, and I dont find it very noisy, I can read while it is on

Go on then, what do you use it for it soap making - make most of mine but have always just left it to cure over about 6 weeks on trays.

[CaroltheCarrot]

Go on then, what do you use it for it soap making - make most of mine but have always just left it to cure over about 6 weeks on trays.

I am lazy and do M & P soap but I dry nettles, mint and whatnot in it

[Alison]

I am lazy and do M & P soap but I dry nettles, mint and whatnot in it

Ah, never really fancied M+P as I'm quite anal about doing everything from scratch but had had visions of you putting the whole bar in there . Incidently, doesn't take long to do CP and it's dead easy so am not sure it takes much more than M+P.

[CaroltheCarrot]

Ah, never really fancied M+P as I'm quite anal about doing everything from scratch but had had visions of you putting the whole bar in there . Incidently, doesn't take long to do CP and it's dead easy so am not sure it takes much more than M+P.

I will look into it further, sorry sylvan we have hijacked your thread

[Alison]

I will look into it further, sorry sylvan we have hijacked your thread

Oh yes, sorry about that

[Sylvan]

Hehe, don't worry about it - but what do M + P and CP stand for?

I looked at the Stockli ones but they're £120 for a 3 tier one and £40 for 2 extra trays, if you want them and the 9 tray Excaliburs are £200, so I decided it's a straight competition between the Westfalia and the Excalibur.

The attraction of the big Excalibur is partly that it will do what my Rayburn's bottom oven used to - proving bread, making yoghurt etc

How long do the toms take in the Westfalia? (We're worried about leaving it on at night)

[Alison]

Hehe, don't worry about it - but what do M + P and CP stand for?

M + P is melt and pour and CP is cold process. M + P is basically a made up mix with which you can create some really interesting (and wacky if you want) soap designs but you're stuck with the recipe that you buy and CP is made from scratch, involves a bit more chemistry () but you know exactly what is in the soap and can adapt to suit your own requirements, not so good for fancy designs though. Obviously there's more to it that that and other people would probably define differently depending on what they do but that's roughly it

How long do the toms take in the Westfalia? (We're worried about leaving it on at night)

I leave them overnight but it depends on how big they are or how thickly you slice. I did a load of cherry ones last year just cut in half and I think they took about 8 + hours to go to soft and pliable which is what I wanted, sort of sundried level. They're really lovely with pasta or in salads in particular.

[Sylvan]

Thanks Alison

[Seahorse]

I have the Westfalia one and it's great for our needs. If you want to make bread or yogurt I think I'd go with a vintage Kenwood Chef and an Easi-Yo. Less expense overall than a 'fancy' dehydrator and cos they're built for purpose, probably a better result?

[Sylvan]

I just wanted somewhere warm to prove the bread. Our house is never warm enough

How many of you are there Seahorse?